Suck it, Spankees! Suck, it!

Four straight NL East Division titles,.....2 straight NL Pennants,...and a World Series.  What do you Bronx Bums like to call that?  Oh, yeah,..that's right:  A DYNASTY!!!

Blazing Saddles in Philladelphia???

With apologies to Mel Brooks,.....

Ringside: Street speaks - mostly of Mayor Nutter

Ex-mayor dissects, criticizes his longtime rival's tenure.

For more than two years, John F. Street refrained from commenting on Mayor Nutter because he said he wanted to give him a chance.

But now the former mayor says the muzzle is off.

In the interviews, Street called Nutter's first budget "pathetic" and said the city's five-year financial plan was "not worth the paper it is printed on." He said Nutter was a "micromanager" who didn't have any "political convictions" or "priorities."  (This coming from a mayor who thought it bext to stay on vacation when Pier 34 collapsed?)

Street saved his harshest critique for Nutter's relationship with the African American community. He said Nutter had "turned his back" on blacks in the neighborhoods.  (As opposed to you, Mayor Street, who turned YOUR back on the white neighborhoods??)

Specifically, Street pointed to the Police Department's "stop-and-frisk" policy, which appealed to white voters at the expense of harassing mostly young black males. (When white kids start texting each other to start riots on South Street, I'm sure the police will "harass" them, too!)

Perhaps. But if faced with a choice on Election Day, will blacks support Katz or another white candidate over Nutter?

"ABN," Street said, which is short for Anybody But Nutter. "There are people out there who can't wait to vote against him."

Street said the mostly white mainstream media were not in tune with the depth of disdain for Nutter in the African American community. He said Nutter was "not a black mayor, he's just a mayor with dark skin." Street relayed an anecdote of a black man who stopped him on the street and asked if the city would ever have another black mayor.

This Day in History

As we approach what SHOULD be an all-out slaughter of the Democratic Party, a test of the power of the Tea Party and the toppling of Empress Pelosi, take both strength and caution from this:

On 23 September, 1779, a Franco-American squadron under Jones was off Flamborough Head, England, looking for British merchant ships to capture, when the British frigates Countess of Scarborough and Serapis bore down on it. The American frigate, "Bonhomme Richard" engaged the "Serapis". In a particularly bloody, destructive fight, the English captain called out to inquire if the "Bonhomme Richard" had struck its colors. Jones cried out, "I have not yet begun to fight!" Upon raking the "Serapis", the crew of the Bonhomme Richard led by Jones boarded the English ship and captured her. Likewise, the French frigate Pallas captured her prize the Countess of Scarborough. The action stuck out as an embarrassing defeat for the Royal Navy, who suffered the capture of two of her vessels in her own home waters, but goes down in history as the single most memorable ship-on-ship gun battle in history.

Oh, and BTW Charlie Christ and Lisa Murkowski:

1780 - John Andre, a British spy, was captured with papers revealing that Benedict Arnold was going to surrender West Point, NY, to the British.

A Football Haiku

Hey, Fat Andy Reid....
Please don't be a dick to us,....
And start Michael Vick!

B-E-A-G-L-E-S!

(I'd say "beagles," but Vick might throw one in against a pit bull at his next "house party.")

Truth, The REAL Truth

Interesting article about James Bond:

The real story behind Bond's dinner jacket: MI6 secrets revealed in new Published Date: 22 September 2010

By Stephen McGinty

IT is a scene that perfectly captures the intrigue and elegance of the life of a secret agent.

In Goldfinger, Sir Sean Connery's James Bond swims ashore on a clandestine mission only to strip off his wetsuit and reveal a perfectly pressed tuxedo beneath.

Now a new history of MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), reveals the fact behind the fiction.

During the Second World War, MI6 put a secret agent ashore on a Dutch beach near a seaside casino.

He was dressed in a specially designed rubber outer suit, which he then stripped off to reveal a full evening dinner jacket and tie.

Pieter Tazelaar, the Dutch agent whose mission was to glean intelligence on German-occupied Holland, was even sprinkled with a few drops of Hennessy XO brandy by a colleague so as to strengthen his cover as a party-goer.

The mission, which took place in November, 1941 is revealed in MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service by Professor Keith Jeffrey.

The author has been given unrestricted access to the files of MI6 which, unlike all other government departments, have never been released to the Public Records Office at Kew.

Among the myths inspired by the James Bond books which are scotched in the history is that secret agents have a "licence to kill".

As Prof Jeffrey explained: "No such thing existed. In wartime, some officers and agents were given weapons training for defence. Espionage was dangerous work and many paid with their lives." Yet the book does feature a couple of agents from whom Fleming is thought to have drawn inspiration for his celebrated character.

From the "Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot" Files,...

Carter: My Charity Work Is 'Superior' to Other Ex-Presidents'

Jimmy Carter says his philanthropic work is "superior" to that of other former presidents, citing his activism on the environment and leadership filling "vacuums in the world."

Carter, in an interview Monday with NBC News, offered several explanations to support his premise, suggesting his charitable work on the world stage has had more impact than that of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the other three members of the world's most exclusive club.

(snip)
Former President Bill Clinton's Clinton Global Initiative also boasts an impressive resume -- better education for more than 10 million children, 33 million acres of forest protected and safe drinking water for more than 12 million people, among other accomplishments. Clinton and former President George H.W. Bush teamed up to raise donations for nations ravaged by the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Clinton and former President George W. Bush have teamed up to raise donations for earthquake-stricken Haiti.

Let's see: rebuilding major parts of the Third World after being devastated by Mother Nature or exacerbating the Israeli/Palestinian conflict for your own political gain??  Yeah, that's being "superior."

If You're Going to Bring it Up,...

O'Donnell: No Witchcraft Since High School

By Kimberly Schwandt

Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell on Sunday chalked up her experimentation in sorcery to being a teenager, saying there's no magical explanation to her 1999 confession that she "dabbled into witchcraft."

Speaking to Republican picnic-goers, the insurgent Tea Party candidate said she didn't doing anything differently than lots of kids at that age.

"I was in high school, how many of you didn't hang out with questionable folks in high school? But no, there's been no witchcraft since," she said, shrugging off her dalliances with the dark arts.

"Now let’s put that to rest and move on to what we’re going to do," she said.

If were going to talk about sorcery in government, let's talk about things like:

• Obamacare
• The stimulus lowering the deficit
• The stimulus lowering unemployment
• Etc, etc, etc

Oh, You Poor Thing!

(photo courtesy Wyatt Earp at SYLG)

Michelle Obama Denies Telling French First Lady Life Is 'Hell'

The U.K. Daily Mail newspaper revealed the quote in a review of "Carla and the Ambitious" for Thursday editions.

"Don't ask! It's hell. I can't stand it!" Michelle Obama was said to have told Bruni during a private conversation at the White House during an official visit by France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, last March.

Yeah, I'm sure travelling to Spain and Martha's Vineyard, having heavily-armed, public-paid babysitters for your children, and posing endlessly for every fashion magazine that fawns over you must be EXHAUSTING! Why not try something easy, like being a firefighter, a police detective, or 47 year old paramedic with a herniated L5 disc!

That's NOT Bail, Its a RANSOM!!

American Woman's Family Appeals to Iran to Drop $500,000 Bail Demand

The lawyer for an American woman detained in Iran said her family is appealing to authorities to drop a demand for $500,000 bail in exchange for her release because it cannot afford the amount.

Masoud Shafiei, the attorney representing three imprisoned American hikers in Iran, said Swiss diplomats -- who handle U.S. affairs in Iran -- are asking that the bail be dropped or lowered for Sarah Shourd. He said the family of the 32-year-old woman is apparently facing difficulty raising the money.

Shafiei also said Monday that he has no word on Iran's response.


$500000 for being dumb enough to walk on the wrong side of a mountain?? 

NEVER FORGET!

'Nuff said,.....

BREAKING NEWS! Man Can Travel to Moon and Safely Return!

And other behind-the-times stories:

Fidel Castro: Cuba's Communism Not Working

HAVANA -- Cuba's communist economic model has come in for criticism from an unlikely source: Fidel Castro.

The revolutionary leader told a visiting American journalist and a U.S.-Cuba policy expert that the island's state-dominated system is in need of change, a rare comment on domestic affairs from a man who has taken pains to steer clear of local issues since illness forced him to step down as president four years ago.

The fact that things are not working efficiently on this cash-strapped Caribbean island is hardly news. Fidel's brother Raul, the country's president, has said the same thing repeatedly. But the blunt assessment by the father of Cuba's 1959 revolution is sure to raise eyebrows.

Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, asked Castro if Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting to other countries, and Castro replied: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore," Goldberg wrote Wednesday in a post on his Atlantic blog.

The Cuban government had no immediate comment on Goldberg's account.

And It's Just NOT Right!

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warned Tuesday a Florida church's threat to burn copies of the Muslim holy book could endanger U.S. troops in the country and Americans worldwide.


"Images of the burning of a Koran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan -- and around the world -- to inflame public opinion and incite violence ," Gen. David Petraeus said. "Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult."


His comments followed a protest Monday by hundreds of Afghans over the plans by Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center -- a small, evangelical Christian church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy -- to burn copies of the Koran on church grounds to mark the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.


First and foremost, we are a country founded on religious tolerance and a separation of the secular from the sacred. Too often in recent years, we've failed to lead by example and allowing ths Dove World Outreach Center to get away with this makes us no better than the Islamofascists who paint the West with a broad brush!

Second, regardless of your view of Islam, the Koran is a book of holy verse and I will defend its destruction with just as much force as I would a Baltimore Catechism, a King James Bible and a Torah! 

** THAT'S MY OPINION AND YOU'RE ENTITLED TO IT!**

Why I Prefer the OBX to the NJ Shore,....

And it isn't because of Snooki and The Situation,....

More like "Avalon, Crueler by the Mile."

Chris Freind recently opined on my childhood summer stomping grounds:

Without question, Avalon is one of the best beach towns on the South Jersey coast. Jutting a mile further out in the Atlantic than other shore points, its cool ocean breezes and pristine beaches make for a fantastic family vacation.


That is, unless you happen to cross the Avalon Beach Patrol, who seem to relish acting like storm-troopers.


Avalon, like most governments, has laws and regulations on the books that make darn near everything a violation.


Games on the beach? Can’t do it. Throw a ball in the ocean? Nope. Have a gas grill on your deck? Don’t even think about it.


All against the law, but virtually never enforced.


Government should never have ordinances which are selectively enforced.


This breeds contempt for the system and leads to widespread abuse by overzealous wannabes on a power-trip.


There are many good things about Avalon, but, as is always the case, they are overshadowed by the bad. The city fathers would be wise to eliminate all but the necessary ordinances, and start remembering who makes the town what it is.


As is the case with most shore towns, beach tags are required. This policy has long irked the vast majority of beach-goers, who believe they more than pay the cost of beach preservation by the many taxes and fees levied on them. And they also believe, not unjustifiably, that the beach belongs to everyone, and no one should have to pay to use it.


Disdain aside, most comply. Incredibly, though, that wasn’t good enough for the Avalon Patrol.

As I said, I grew up going to Avalon every summer through the 70s and early 80s.  Then work and other such life situations intervened and I found myself traveling abroad as much as locally.

Then something strange happened a few years ago: the Blue Bloods of the Main Line, apparently tired of their over-development of Ocean City, decided to buy up everything not tied down in Avalon and make it "Bryn Mahh-by-the-Sea."  My old haunts are now art galleries and $100-a-plate restaurants.  Wawas and 7-Elevens infest Ocean and Dune Drives. And if you cannot provide the official Merion Cricket Club handshake, you might as well keep driving north to Sea Isle City, or you'll be the next victim of the Main Liners' Imperial Storm Troopers,....um, Avalon Beach Patrol! 

Gimme the quiet and warm waters of Corolla, NC any day!

I Have All the Answers,....

You know, people, you could've submitted some answers!!

1) - Name at least three Philadelphia-based "big box" stores no longer in business
Lit Bros, Wanamakers, Strawbridge and Clothier, Gimbels

1A) - Target used one of these stores as their business model. Which store was it?
Strawbridge and Clothier's Clover stores

2) - Got a problem? Call,....(MUST include the phone number)
for Action! GReenwood 7-5312!

3) - What brothers were Mayor and Fire Commissioner during the same administration?
Frank Rizzo was Mayor.  His brother Joe was the Fire Commisioner

4) - Before becoming Mayor, Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo became nationally famous for sporting what in his tuxedo's cumberbund?
He sported a nightstick in his cumberbund when he responded from a black-tie event to a riot in North Philly!

5) - What was unique about the traffic patterns of the East and West River Drives?
They were one-way inbound during the morning rush and one way outbound in the afternoon.  All other times, they were two-way roads.

6) - Name the other Philadelphia professional baseball team:
The Philadelphia Athletics, who moved to Kansas City, then on to Oakland, CA.

7) - Name at least two of the other Philadelphia professional football teams:
The Frankford Yellowjackets, the Philadelphia Bell of the WFL, the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL, and the Philadelphia Soul of the AFL.

8) - Why was Philadelphia picked to host the Army-Navy football game?
Philadelphia was roughly equidistant to both Annapolis, MD and West Point, NY

9) - With the aid of the Philadelphia Fire Department, who made the annual climb to the top of one of downtown Philadelphia's superstores on Thanksgiving Day?
Santa Claus climbed to the top of Strawbridges to place the star on the CHRISTmas Tree.

10) - Trick question - If Mayor Squidward closes a firehouse do the surrounding properties become fire proof? Fire Commissioner Ayers says "yes," so it MUST be true (/snark)

11) - Another trick question - Genos? Pats? Jims? D'Allesandros?
All were acceptable but Pat's